Account-file.



H. G. GROSS & I. 'D. SIEGFRIED.

ACCOUNT FILE.

APPLICATION TILED APR. so, 1908.

Patented May 2, 1911.

4 SHBETB-SHEBT 1.

avwewlio'a 14: 6. rass H. C. GROSS & I. D. SIEGFRIED.

ACCOUNT FILE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. so, 1908.

990,979. Patented May 2, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H. C. GROSS & I. D. SIEGFRIED.

AGGOUNT FILE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. so, 1909.

Patented. May 2, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

H. G. GROSS & L D. SIEGFRIED.

ACCOUNT FILE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. so, 1908.

Patented May 2, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

vwamcow UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARVEY G. GROSS AND IRA D. SIEG'FBIED, 0F WADSWORTH, OHIO.

ACCOUNT-FILE.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented May 2, 1911.

Application filed April 30, 1908. Herial No. 430,198.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HARVEY C. .Gnoss and IRA D. SIEGFRIED, citizens of the United States, residing at Wadsworth, in the county of Medina and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Account-Files; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in account files of that class in which a carbon copy of the purchase of each customer is filed showing the total amount credited to each customer after each successive purchase.

With this and other objects in View, the

invention consists of certain novel features. of construction, combmatmn; and arrangement of parts, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device, partly in section, Fig. 2 is a horizontal section, taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a front elevation, on an enlarged scale, Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3, Fig. 6 is a similar view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3, Fig. 7 is a plan View of one of the leaves removed, Fig. 8 is a similar view of the opposite side of the leaf, Fig. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of Fig. 7 Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view of a modified form'of leaf, Fig. 11 is a similar view showing still another modified form of the leaf, Fig. 12 is a horizontal section on the line 19-12 of Fig. 3, showing the locking mechanism for the leaves, Fig. 13 is an.

' strip 5, each of the plates being bent and split at longitudinally spaced points, as at (i, to form pockets to receive carbon copies of the purchases of the several customers, said plates being separated by a central partition extending the full length and width of the same. A rock shaft 8, made in two sections 9, and of approximately square or rectangular form in cross section is arranged between the inner faces and at the inner ends of the plates 3 and 4 of each leaf with the adjacent end of the partition7 extending between the sections of the same, the sections of the rock shaft and the adjacent ends of the plates and partitions of the several leaves being riveted or otherwise rigidly connected together. In the preferred construction of the leaves outstanding pins 10 are formed on the outer faces of the plates 3 and 4 adjacent the pockets to hold the carbon copies, and springs 11 are attached to said plates in position to have their free ends normally engage said pins.

In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 10 the springs are made from pieces of spring wire bent into approximately U-shape form and are arranged in position with the arms of the wire soldered, or otherwise attached to the plates 3 and 4, the body portions of the wires being in position to normally clamp the carbon copies in the adjacent pockets.

In the form of a leaf shown in Fig. 11 the 3 nally spaced vertically disposed notches or recesses 17, are screwed, or otherwise attached to the inner faces of the side pieces 18 of the casing 1 at directly opposite points near the rear end of the casing, the ends of the rock shafts being reduced as at 19, to fitin the notches or recesses of the supporting members. A pair of rearwardly extending laterall -spaced supporting rods 20,

- threaded -t roughout their lengths are screwed into each of the rock shafts, each ,pair of rods being spaced successively a greater distance apart, beginnin with the top'rock shaft to permit either of the pans of arms to swing back and forth without conflicting or engaging with either of the other pair of such arms. Suitable ball weights 21, are screwed upon the outer ends of each pair of supporting rods to counteract the weight of the leaf. A rock shaft 22, *is attached to the cover or lid 23 of the casing at a point adjacent the rear end of the same, the ends of the shaft extending into the side pieces of the casing. Rearwardly extending supporting rods or members 24, are screwed into said rock shaft, the rear ends of said rods terminating in hooks or engaging portions 25, adapted to be engaged by the upper ends of hanger rods 26, carrying ball weights 27. An upright guide plate 28 is spaced a suitable distance from and is connected with the front wall 29, of the casing by horizontal rivets 30, and the front end of the cover or lid is formed with a depending lug or extension 31, at a point adjacent to and slightly in advance of said guide plate. A catch 32, extends through the front wall of the casing and the guide plate and is formed at its inner end with a right angular engaging portion 33, which extends through the guide plate in position to normally engage with the extension or lug 31 of the cover or' lid, a spring 34 being interposed between the front wall 29 of the casing and a flange or shoulder 35 produced at the outer end of the catch to normally maintain the engaging portion 33 of the catch in engaged relation with said lug or extension.

By means of the above defined structure it will be seen that the cover or lid is normally held in a closed position and upon disengaging the catch from the lug or extension 31 it will be automatically swung open by the weight arrangement arranged at the pivot endof the cover.

The several leaves 2 are normally held in horizontal planes by suitable catch devices in the form of pins 36, arranged to extend through the front wall 29 of the casing and, through the uide plate 28 in position to engage suitable catches 37, produced at the front ends of the leaves, said pins being normally held in engaged relation with the catches 37, by springs 38 arranged between the front wall and guide plate 29 and 28 re spectively.- Horizontally disposed releasing levers 39 are pivoted to the front wall of the casing at points, opposite the pins 36, the pivot ends of said levers terminating in bifurcated enlarged portions 40, to receive the outer ends of the pins which are formed with shoulders or flanges 41, to engage said enlarged portions 40. The extreme free ends of the releasing levers are provided with buttons 42, which are preferably numbered in consecutive order from the top of the easthe purpose of which will be evident.

in liy means of the above described arrangement it will be evident that to release the pins 36 from engagement with thecatches 37 of the leaves it is only necessary to press inwardly upon the buttons 42 at the free ends of the releasing levers. To release the several leaves simultaneously, an upright operating bar or plate 43 is mounted upon guide pins 44, extending outwardly from the front wall 29 of the casing, the front ends of said pins being formed with shoulders or flanges 45, to engage the outer face of said bar or plate and pressure springs 44 being arranged around the pins between the front wall of the casing and the inner face of the plate to normally exert pressure upon the latter. This bar or plate is positioned between the pivot and free ends of the levers and on ressing the plate inwardly against the tenslon of the springs 44, said levers will operate to simultaneously disengage all of the pins 36 from the catches 37 of the leaves. A second operating bar or plate 46 is also arranged adJacent to the plate 43 to operate the first four releasing levers from the top of the'casing, although it is evident that this plate may be of such a length as to engage any number of such levers as may be desired.

In practice the side edges of the cover or lid are bent inwardly as at 47 to receive the side edges of a strip 47 of celluloid or other suitable material upon which may be Written the names of the several persons carrying accounts. A drawer 48 is arranged ill; the front end of the casing beneath the eaves.

From the foregoing description, taken in 1. In an account cabinet, the combination I of a set of superposed movable trays, individual counter-balancing devices for the trays, means for locking each tray, and means for simultaneously releasing all the trays from the said lockingmeans.

2. In a device of the class specified, the combination with a casing, of a vertically spaced series of leaves pivotally mounted within the casing, weights arranged at the the combination with a casing comprising side and end pieces, of a cover, a rock shaft attached to the rear end of the cover, the ends of the-shaft extendinginto the side pleces of the casing, rearwardly extending arms supported by the rock shaft, hangers de ending from the supporting arms, weights adjustably mounted upon the hang ers, and a catch device extending through the front wall of the casing to normally engage the adjacent end of the cover.

4. In an account file of the class specified, the combination with" acasing comprising side pieces, obliquely disposed supporting members formed in their outer edges with longitudinally spaced series of notches attached to the inner faces of the side pieces,

a series of longitudinally extending vertically spaced leaves pivotally mounted within the casing, rock shafts arranged, at the rear ends of the leaves, the ends of the shafts being reduced tofit in the notches or recesses, of the supporting members, weights ar-' ranged at the pivoted ends of the leaves,

and catch devices arranged at the front end ofv the casing to normally engage the free ends of the leaves. 1

5. In an account file of the class described, the combination with a casing, of a series of longitudinally extending leaves arranged one above the other within the casing, obliquely disposed supporting members formed each in one edge with a longitudinally spaced series of recesses attached at opposite points to. the side pieces of the casing, rock shafts arranged at the inner or rear ends of the leaves, the 'ends of the former being reduced to fit in the recesses of the supporting members, weights supported by the rock shafts in rear of the leaf supporting members, and catch devices arranged at the front end of the casing in position to normally engage the adjacent ends of the leaves.

6. In a device of the class specified, the

combination with a casingcomprising side and end pieces, of obliquely disposed leaf supporting members formed each with a longitudinal series of spaced notches in one edge attached at opposite points to the side pieces of the casing, a series of leaves arranged within the casing, rock shafts arranged at the rear ends of the leaves, the ends of the former fitting in the recesses of the leaf suppo g members, rearwardly extending suppt i n g members attached to each'of the rock shafts, weights adjustably mounted upon the rear ends of said sup porting members, and catch devices extending through the front wall of the casing in osition to normally engage with the adacent ends of the leaves.

7. In a device of the class specified, the

. combination with a casing, of a series of leaves pivotally mounted within the casing, each of said leaves comprising two metallic plates arranged-in spaced relation and each being formed with a series of pockets, outstanding pins formed upon the plates at points adjacent to the pockets, and clamping springs attached to the plates adjacent to the pockets. r

8. In a device of the class specified, the combination with a casing comprising a front end wall, of a cover pivotally mounted upon the casing, the free end of the cover being formed with a depending engaging portion, an upright guide plate arranged in rear of the front end piece of the casing, a catch extending through the front end wall and guide plate, the inner end of the catch being formed with an engaging port-ion'to engage that of the cover and the outer end of the catch with a flange, and

a pressure spring arranged between the outer end of the catch and the front end wall to normally maintain the former in engaged relation with the engaging portion of the cover.

a In a device of the class specified, the combination with a casing, of a series of longitudinally extending leaves pivotally mounted within the casing, weights arranged at the pivot ends of the leaves, catches produced at the free or front ends of the leaves, catch devices for normally engaging said catches, each of said devices comprising a pin arranged to extend through the front wall of the casing in position to engagethe catch of the adjacent leaf, an upright guide plate arranged in the rear of the front wall to receive the inner ends of the pins, pressure springs arranged between the front wall and the guide plate, and releasing means operable to release the catch devices from the leaves.

10. The combination with .a casing of a series of longitudinally extending leaves pivotally mounted therein, weights at the pivoted ends of the leaves, catches at the front or free ends of the leaves, spring actuated catch devices for normally engaging said catches, each of said devices comprising a pin extending through the front wall of the casing, and a vertical series of horizontally disposed releasing levers pivoted to the front wall of the casing and engaging the outer ends of said catch devices.

11. The combination with a casing of a series of longitudinally extending leaves pivotally mounted therein, weights at the pivoted ends of the leaves, catches at the front or free ends of the leaves, spring actuated catch devices for normally engaging said catches, each of said devices comprising a pin extending through the front wall of the set our hands in presenc'erof two subscribcasing, a vertical series 10f hor1zonta11y dising witnesses.

posed releasing levers ivot ed to the front e v Q Q Wall of the casing an engag1ng the outer ends of said catch devlces, and operating bars for simultanegusly actuating a plural- Wit ity of the releasing levers. JOHN O. LYICEYY,

In testimony rwhereofi we have hereunto POU IB F. ALLEN. 

